Hello, all! As promised, I return briefly from my semi-hiatus to spotlight a new season's upcoming reads worth getting excited about. While summer isn't quite as exciting for me as Spring 2024 was, there are still quite a few stories I'm very much looking forward to. (And, I mean, Spring 2024 is going to be really hard to beat.) So, let's get started and see what summer 2024 has in store for us.

 

Summer 2024 Reads

1. Splintered Mind by W.R. Gingell (June 3). W.R. Gingell is giving us another spinoff of her City Between series, and let me tell you, I am so, so hyped. This one is also set in Australia (Melbourne, to be exact), and it apparently involves madmen and tentacle monsters and a heroine who sounds delightfully practical and grounded (exactly what one needs in a world so full of weirdness as Between). As a bonus, you can enjoy this series without having read City Between, so it's a great jumping-in point for newcomers. Gingell is launching this via Kickstarter, and there are a few days left to back the project — but if you miss the deadline, the book will release wide later in the year, so you'll still have a chance to get it.

2. Hearts of Stone and Steel by Jenelle Leanne Schmidst (June 25). I am, of course, very much looking forward to returning to the world of Turrim for Book 3 of the Turrim Archive! Especially considering where Book 2 left off . . . yeah. The adventure and the stakes just keep getting bigger, and I know the story will keep getting better along with it. (Also: there is a ROBOT on that cover, and I want to know what's up with that.)

3. DOSA Files Anthology (June 27). Y'all should already be aware of this one, since it includes one of my stories — but for those who missed it, the DOSA Files is an anthology of short stories set in the world of H.L. Burke's Supervillain Rehabilitation Project series and spinoffs. It includes stories from ten different authors, and I can confirm that the ones I've read are so much fun. The Kickstarter ran most of last month, and the book will be available for wide release in just a few days! The blog tour for this book is going on right now, and it includes interviews, giveaways, and more, so make sure you check it out.

4.  When a Dragon Comes Calling by Claire Trella Hill (June 28). Speaking of spinoffs set in the same world as something I love: When a Dragon Comes Calling is the first in a series of romance-focused fantasy novels set in the same world as The Erlking's Daughter (which you may remember me raving about back in March/April). It's a short little snack of a novella, but sometimes that's exactly what you want. Claire Trella Hill is currently two for two in terms of writing books that I absolutely love, and so I have high hopes for this one as well — it's next on my TBR list after I finish reading Murderbot.

5. City of Serpents by Christina Baehr (July 14). Can y'all believe that there's only two books left in the Secrets of Ormdale series? I can't, but I am so looking forward to the next installment! What will happen when Edith's cozy Gothic life meets the shadows of a mystery-type story and the strangeness of mad science? I don't know, but I'm sure it's going to be delightful and exciting. I'm also looking forward to learning more about Janushek, who's been a very interesting character so far. And, of course, I'm excited to see even more new dragons and to find out how Edith will deal with them!

6. Beauty from Embers by Pamela Hart (July 16). Here we have another Kickstarter, this one launching in mid-July (though you can sign up now to be notified when it opens). While this looks very Asian-fantasy-esque, the blurbs suggest that's it's more of a science fantasy — with some strong allegorical elements as well, both of which sound appealing to me. Beauty from Embers is book two, but I do plan to pick up Beauty from Ashes, the first book in the series, at some point.

7. Iron Rose by Abigail O'Bryan (August 6). This appears to be O'Bryan's debut. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which is always exciting — however many takes I see on this tale, I'm always curious when I come upon a new one. This story seems like it'll lean dark, which isn't always my preference, but it should also lean epic, and I definitely like that. I'll be keeping my eye on this one!

8. A Bond of Ice and Sunshine by Sarah Beran (August 9). This is a sequel to My Fair Mermaid, which released as part of last year's Stolen Songs Arista Challenge group. It focuses on Freddy and Eliza, and as I predicted, it's a Snow Queen story  . . . unexpectedly mixed with King Thrushbeard, a fairy tale I do not see retold often enough. Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to seeing how Sarah Beran blends these two tales (and to seeing Freddy get the happily-ever-after he was hoping for in the last book; he is an absolute ray of sunshine, and he deserves the happiest of endings).

9. The Mhrann's Mantle by E.G. Moore (August 12). While I haven't read the series this is part of, this story does sound pretty interesting — from what I can tell, it's a science fantasy story (maybe?) with some Asian inspiration and, if I'm not mistaken, it's a spy story. All of those elements sound intriguing, and I hope that they'll combine well. And I will probably be looking into the rest of the series too . . .

10. Come by Water by Claire Trella Hill (August 30). We wrap up the season with another release by Claire Trella Hill! This is another romantic fantasy Tales from Karneesia story, but this one is a retelling of Tam Lin, and I am so looking forward to it! Much like King Thrushbeard, Tam Lin is a story I feel like I don't see retold half as often as I'd like, and I'm very excited to read Claire's take on the tale!

What book releases are you excited for this summer? Am I missing any? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

 

Stolen Songs Release Party: Interview with Sarah Beran

 

Hello, all! We're onto our third Stolen Songs release: Sarah Beran's My Fair Mermaid, a blend of The Little Mermaid with Pygmalion (which y'all may better know in its movie form as My Fair Lady). After this, we'll take a break until about mid-October, when the remaining two Stolen Songs release . . . but until then, we have this super fun read! I got the chance to interview Sarah Beran, so read on for that. Or you can hop over to Light and Shadows to get my thoughts on the book!

About My Fair Mermaid

The Little Mermaid meets Pygmalion…

Maribel has learned to stay quiet. As an orphan relying on the generosity of family, and with six outspoken and energetic cousins, silencing her own voice is often the easiest way to keep the peace and ensure her own acceptance. After helping her cousin rescue Prince Frederick from a shipwreck, Maribel finds herself as the unwitting accomplice in her cousin’s plot to marry the human prince. The plan is simple: Maribel will distract Frederick’s grumpy best friend, Professor Hadrian Higsley, so that the scheming mermaid can cozy up to the prince.

Between a friendly wager over slippers, her growing attraction to a certain translator, the appearance of a foreign fiancée, and an increasingly desperate cousin, Maribel finds it harder and harder to remain a silent observer. Will she finally find the courage to speak? Or will the little mermaid choose once again to give up her voice?

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

Interview with Sarah Beran

Welcome to the blog! To start out, please tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what are your favorite hobbies (aside from writing) or favorite books (outside your own), and do you prefer coffee or tea?

 

My name is Sarah Beran. I am a fairy tale author by night (and weekend), as my day job is actually a music teacher. I teach PreK-6th grade general music, AP Music Theory, and a highschool handbell choir. I love playing the saxophone, long-distance running, and reading. My favorite books are the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. Both greatly influenced my love of fantasy and the types of characters I love to put in my books, and I'm still pretty certain that I want to be a hobbit when I grow up.

 

Coffee is the superior beverage. Tea is lovely, but coffee is king.

 

I will have to disagree with you there, but I digress . . . So, let's talk about your book! Where did you get the idea to combine The Little Mermaid with Pygmalion?

 

I don't remember how exactly it came about, other than I was trying to brainstorm a new approach to the Little Mermaid and coming up with a list of all the different angle and approaches to having a voice stolen. Is it a literal voice? A metaphorical voice? Voice as agency? My Fair Lady has always been a favorite of mine, and I love how in both the play Pygmalion and in the musical version, Eliza is not only taught to speak (literally given a voice), but she also learns how to stand up for herself. One thing led to another, and, well, here we are.

Here we are indeed, with pretty great results if you ask me! If you could have My Fair Mermaid adapted into another form of media, what would you pick?

 

That's a hard one. Maybe another musical? That could be fun. 

I can definitely see My Fair Mermaid as a musical, and not just because of the source material. Moving on, what's something you learned while writing this book?

 

This story involved a lot of body language that was challenging to translate into written words. I spent of a lot of time posing and making faces and analyzing just exactly what was happening. There were several times I'm sure my husband thought I was crazy.

Ha! Such is a writer's life. To finish up, can you tell us a little about what you're currently working on and what we can expect from you next?

 

I'm currently working on a retelling of Stravinsky's Firebird for my "Seasons of Music and Magic" series, which retells stories from classic operas and ballets. There's also a sequel for Freddy and Eliza in the works that may or may not involve a lot of ice...

 

Both of those sound awesome . . . but I'm definitely more excited for the second one, not going to lie.

Thank you to Sarah Beran for answering my questions, and thank you to you all for reading! Does My Fair Mermaid sound like something you'd enjoy? Please tell me in the comments!